Quick Answer
Yes, many species of birds will eat figs. Figs are a nutritious food source for birds, providing sugars, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Some birds like figs so much that they specialize in foraging for figs, dispersing fig seeds in their droppings. Other fruit-eating birds, such as cedar waxwings and tanagers, enjoy figs as part of their diverse diets.
Do Birds Eat Figs?
Figs are an excellent food source for many species of birds. The sweet, soft fruit provides essential sugars to fuel avian metabolism. Figs also supply protein for growth and maintenance of muscle mass, as well as vitamins and minerals like calcium and magnesium for bone health and enzyme reactions.
Some species of birds rely heavily on figs as a food staple. Fruit pigeons, green pigeons, and other tropical frugivorous (fruit-eating) doves and pigeons often subsist primarily on figs and play an important role as fig seed dispersers. Tiny sunbirds also favor energy-rich fig fruits in tropical regions.
In North America, birds like cedar waxwings, tanagers, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, orioles, and even some warblers regularly visit fruiting fig trees. Backyard birdwatchers know that putting out cut figs is a good way to attract an array of avian visitors.
What Kinds of Birds Eat Figs?
Many different types of birds across a wide range of families are attracted to the sweet taste and high calorie content of ripe figs. Some examples of birds that eat figs include:
Fruit Doves and Pigeons
– Fruit pigeons
– Green pigeons
– Lemon doves
– Pink pigeons
– Wompoo fruit doves
– Superb fruit doves
– Nicobar pigeons
– White-bellied green pigeons
Parrots
– Fig parrots
– Red lories
– Rainbow lorikeets
– Eclectus parrots
– Black lories
Perching Birds
– Cedar waxwings
– Gray catbirds
– American robins
– Bluebirds
– Thrushes
– Starlings
– Tanagers
– Orioles
– Grosbeaks
Woodpeckers
– Red-bellied woodpeckers
– Downy woodpeckers
– Acorn woodpeckers
Warblers
– Yellow warblers
– Palm warblers
– American redstarts
– Hooded warblers
What Attracts Birds to Figs?
There are several appealing characteristics of figs that attract birds:
- High sugar content – Ripe figs are packed with simple sugars like glucose, fructose, and sucrose that provide quick energy.
- Soft fruit – Birds don’t have teeth and figs are easy to break apart and swallow.
- Nutrient composition – Figs provide protein, vitamins A, E, K, and B complex, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
- Availability – Figs grow in warm climates worldwide, providing food year-round in tropical regions.
- Crops – Large fig trees produce abundant crops of fruit, feeding many birds at once.
- Accessibility – Figs grow low on branches and trunks, easy for birds to reach.
The high calorie content, nutrients, and ease of access make figs an attractive, efficient food source for many species of birds.
How Do Birds Help Disperse Fig Seeds?
Birds and figs have evolved an important symbiotic relationship. Birds eat fig fruits and disperse fig seeds in their droppings, helping fig tree propagation and spread.
Certain species of figs rely entirely on birds for pollination and seed dispersal. These fig types produce figs with very small entrance holes that only tiny, specialized birds like figbirds and flowerpeckers can access to pollinate interior flowers.
Other fig species attract a wider range of fruit-eating birds. After eating pulp and seeds, birds defecate or regurgitate seeds as they perch or fly, spreading seeds far from the parent tree. Seeds passing through digestive systems also helps break down seed coats.
Studies show bird-dispersed fig seeds are more likely to germinate and survive than non-dispersed seeds. Ornithochory (seed transport by birds) is vital for maintaining fig tree populations and enabling expansion into new habitats. The farther birds disperse seeds, the lower competition is for resources like light and nutrients.
What Are Some Interesting Facts About Birds and Figs?
Specialized Diets
Some tropical bird species like the green pigeon have extremely specialized diets consisting of over 90% figs. Likewise, certain fig species like Ficus tinctoria rely almost exclusively on specific birds like fruit doves for pollination and seed dispersal.
Medicinal Use
Birds like parrots have been observed eating certain fig species for possible medicinal benefits. Fig leaves, sap, and unripe fruits contain compounds like coumarins that may help deter parasites.
Crop Feeding
Ornithologists have used observations of flock activity around fig trees to study social behavior. Birds crowd the most productive fig trees, with dominant individuals defending prime feeding spots.
Fruit Flagging
Some fig species have brightly colored fruit that seems to “flag” ripeness to attract birds from a distance. Studies suggest red or orange figs attract more avian foragers.
Seed Dispersal Rates
Single fruit doves can disperse over 100,000 fig seeds per day. With so many seeds swallowed, even a small percentage successfully dispersed to new areas has a big impact.
Coevolution
The interdependency between figs and their bird pollinators and dispersers offers fascinating examples of coevolution across diverse tropical ecosystems.
Conclusion
Figs represent an abundant, nutritious food source perfectly adapted for consumption and dispersal by birds. The symbiosis between birds and fig trees benefits both parties and influences tropical forest ecology worldwide. Birds gain sustenance from fig fruits and figs gain mobile seed dispersers from birds. Ornithochory ensures fig propagation and survival, underscoring the intimate ecological interconnection between birds and figs.
Bird type | Examples |
---|---|
Fruit doves and pigeons | Fruit pigeons, green pigeons, lemon doves, pink pigeons, wompoo fruit doves, superb fruit doves, Nicobar pigeons, white-bellied green pigeons |
Parrots | Fig parrots, red lories, rainbow lorikeets, eclectus parrots, black lories |
Perching birds | Cedar waxwings, gray catbirds, American robins, bluebirds, thrushes, starlings, tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks |
Woodpeckers | Red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, acorn woodpeckers |
Warblers | Yellow warblers, palm warblers, American redstarts, hooded warblers |